Interior Finalizes Rule Restoring Alaska-Specific Framework for National Parks and Preserves
Washington — The Department of the Interior and the National Park Service on October 16 announced a final rule restoring the longstanding Alaska-specific regulatory framework governing wildlife harvest, subsistence-related activities and certain public access procedures in national parks and preserves across Alaska.
The framework stems from the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA), which set Alaska apart from much of the National Park System, providing for subsistence uses in certain park areas and sport hunting and trapping in national preserves under state and federal law. The final rule rescinds regulatory changes adopted in 2015, 2017 and 2024 and restores key elements of the earlier framework, including public-hearing requirements for certain closures and restrictions affecting fish and wildlife harvest, locally focused notification procedures, and the application of state-authorized wildlife harvest methods in national preserves. It also removes certain post-2015 restrictions on subsistence activities, including requirements tied to collecting nonedible animal parts for handicrafts and methods used for subsistence bear harvest.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the restored framework recognizes Alaska's unique circumstances and respects the state's role in managing fish and wildlife, giving Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions affecting their lands and traditions. The department said the rule does not amend ANILCA or change the federal subsistence priority under Title VIII, which the Federal Subsistence Management Program continues to administer. The National Park Service completed an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact. The final rule will publish in the Federal Register on October 19, 2026 (document #2026-21299) and takes effect 30 days after publication.
The department said the rule implements the direction of Executive Order 14153 and Secretary's Order 3422, returning federal land management in Alaska toward the state framework and local participation and reducing duplicative federal restrictions on hunting and harvest activities in Alaska preserves.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 阿拉斯加北极门国家公园雷谷实景（Paxson Woelber 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，维基共享资源）
